The origins of Kabuki can be traced back to 1603 when Okuni Izumo, a Shinto priestess, was performing along the Kamo River in Kyoto (Edwin Wilson and Alvin Goldfarb). Izumo performances were quite popular and she was able to form an all female troupe. Unfortunately, these all female troupes were met with disapproval from government officials and were forced to disband.
Since the beginning of Kabuki, the only major changes that Kabuki has faced has been the changes in which gender would be allowed to perform. Originally when Kabuki was founded, by Okuni, the performers were all female. The women of Kabuki troupes performed both male and female parts. Women Kabuki performers did not just sell their performances, but their bodies as well (“Kabuki”). If an audience member wanted, and if they had enough money, they could procure sexual services from the performers. Eventually, fights broke out, about the sexual aspects that these performers provided. In order to stop these fights the government decided to act. In 1629, female performances of Kabuki were banned (Wilson and Goldfarb 257). Young boys then became the stars of Kabuki. Their Kabuki performances followed the same guild lines that female performers faced: they played both gender role, their makeup and costumes were the same, they danced and they could be brought for sexual services as well. Men who came to see these performances did not shy away from engaging in homosexual acts with these boys (“Portrait of an Onnagata”). Soon thought, conflicts arose when quarrels broke out among the men who wished to gain sexual services from these boys. Authorities intervened and in 1652 boys' Kabuki was forbidden (Faith Bach). After these reforms, older men came into playing the parts of...
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...anese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “Kabuki.” Web-japan.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 May 2014.
“Kabuki.” BEGIN Japanology. Writ. Adam Fulford and Kazutada Komine. Dir. Mamoru Abe. Kei Ichinoseki. NHK World. 5 April 2012. YouTube. Web. 9 May 2014.
"Portrait of an Onnagata." Dir. Tineke Hulsbergen. Films Media Group. 1990. Films On Demand. Web. 9 May 2014.
Tran, Lan. "Art, Drama/Performance."Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender: Culture Society History. Ed. Fedwa Malti-Douglas. Vol. 1. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2007. 92-96. Global Issues In Context. Web. 9 May 2014.
Royce, Anya. "Dance." Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender: Culture Society History. Ed. Fedwa Malti-Douglas. Vol. 2. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2007. 365-369. Global Issues In Context. Web. 9 May 2014.
Wilson, Edwin, and Alvin, Goldfarb. Theater The Lively Art. 8th ed. New York: Mc Graw Hill, 2012. Print
Throughout the years, America has pursued the performing arts in a large variety of ways. Theatre plays a dramatic and major role in the arts of our society today, and it takes great effort in all aspects. Musical Theatre, specifically, involves a concentration and strength in dance, acting, and singing. This is the base that Musical Theatre is built upon. For my Senior Project, I helped choreograph multiple scenes in a community musical “Thoroughly Modern Millie”. Choreography is a way of expressing oneself, but it has not always been thought of for that purpose. Agnes de Mille’s expressive talent has drastically affected how people see choreography today. Agnes de Mille’s influence in the world of dance has left a lasting impact in the Performing Arts Department, and her revolutionary works are still known today for their wit, lyricism, emotion, and charm.
Butler, Judith. "Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology and Feminist Theory." Theatre Journal 40.4 (1988): 519-31. The Johns Hopkins University Press. Web. 11 May 2011.
Kabuki theatre has a very long and rich history. It began in the 1600s, around the same time that the American colonies were being founded. A Japanese shrine maiden, Okuni, is credited with creating Kabuki theatre. In its earliest form, Kabuki consisted of large ensemble dances performed by women. Many of these women were prostitutes off stage. Due to the fame and fan base that these prostitutes acquired because of Kabuki, the government in this time banned women from performing onstage. This was done in an effort to protect the public’s morality against what was seen as a form of lewd entertainment (Kabuki History, 1996). After women, the main characters in Kabuki programs, were banned from performing on the stage, men stepped in to continue the Kabuki productions. This change in characters brought about a very important shift in Kabuki. No longer was the focus on beauty and dance. What became important was the skill of the actors, and the drama that they portrayed. This put Kabuki on the road to becoming a dramatic art form, rather than a show of dancing with beautiful women. At the same time, there was a renaissance happening in Japan, which promoted and encouraged arts and culture. This is known as the Genroku period.
One of the central themes of theatrical form is identity and the catalyst by which identity is formed is the body. In using the body as the site of formation of individual identity, women are “uniquely identified with their anatomy” and specifically the parts of their anatomy that differ from that of men (Callaghan 30). Because women are thus defined by their relation ...
The rise of the samurai started in japan around 900 B.C. to 250 A.D. They had developed weapons, armor and a code and this evolved into a model for the medieval samurai. Their weapons included bows, arrows and swords. Their armor was made up of a designed helmet, a breastplate, arm, chest and shoulder plates and a belly plate. They used these to either protect or fight against others. they also had multiple religion beliefs and they honored each one. Although their not samurais all the time they also had paintings and different art styles.
Kenrick, John. Musical Theatre A History. New York: The Continuum International Publishing Group, 2008. Print.
Even in today’s society, sexism is still prevalent and inhibits the people who are affected by it. For the purpose of this essay, sexism will be defined as any action that consciously contributes to a gender stereotyping society. In her essay, Marilyn Frye notes this definition of sexism stating that “making decisions on the basis of sex reinforces the patterns that make it relevant” (846). Therefore, any decision that contributes to the gender binary and its framework is considered sexist. The musical Gypsy has instances in which the main character, Rose, can be considered both going against and contributing to the “patterns that make sex relevant.” In one scene, Rose can be seen subjecting her children to gender roles which feeds in to sexism,
Kabuki Theater in one of four main types of traditional theater in Japan (“Japanese”). The four types are Noh, Kyogen, Kabuki, and Bunraku (“Japanese”). This theater combines drama, dance, and music. It is also the most well-known form of Japanese theater around the world (“Japanese”). It is a very lively type of theater. Until 1680, plays used real swords as their props (“Japanese”). The art of Kabuki was created in opposition to the Noh Theater (“Japanese”). Common things in Kabuki Theater are sword fights and wild costumes (“Japanese”). Men would sometimes play the women’s roles (Bayley). The eerily beautiful effects of Kabuki derive from the deeply traditional aspects (Bayley). These aspects include a combination of dancing, acting, music, and elaborate costumes and scenery (Bayley). Early Kabuki borrowed aspects from other theatrical forms to create their own traditions (Bayley). Borrowed some aspects form Noh theater and...
Jonas, Gerald. Dancing: The Pleasure, Power, and Art of Movement. New York: Abrams, 1992. Print.
Brockett, Oscar G., and Oscar G. Brockett. The Essential Theatre. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1976. Print.
The first social dance explored was ballroom dancing. Ballrooms were a place of courtship; therefore, these dances were always performed by a male, female couple. Traditional gender roles began the dance as the men always asked the women to dance. As the dance began, the bodies were transformed into vehicles to connect these opposite sex partners. However, societal rules applied to this dance because partners must be from within the appropriate class, the intentions proper, and the movements executed in a specific manner. The woman’s role was essentially to avoid a misstep of tripping on the man’s feet, since the male always led the dance.
With the fall of the Aristocracies during the Heian period, the first establishment of a Shogunate system was created. The Kamakura Era of Japan “takes its name from the garrison town of Kamakura on Sagami Bay in central Honshu, not far from modern Tokyo.” (Colcutt). The Kamakura Era lasted from 1192 until 1333 C.E. and began what is referred to as Japan’s 700 year medieval period. This era defined the foundation of the hierarchical Shogunate system and the role of the legendary samurai warriors. Founded by Minamoto no Yoritomo, the Samurai were part of the warrior government system known as Bakufu. This historically famous system was established after the Genpei War. “The war between [the] Minamoto... and Taira
The performances included opera-styled singing with intricate hand gestures. I used to think that the Chinese theater performances my grandparents watched on TV were too over-the-top and unnatural, but after reading about the history and meanings behind Chinese theater, I’ve developed a new perspective on the style and have come to admire the beauty of cultural differences in theatrical arts. Chinese theater’s “traditional performance” features a synthesis of poetry, singing, and dancing. In present day, “traditional performance” has undergone an improvement toward what can be termed “characterization performance,” which emphasizes the performer’s internal experience of the character played and the artistically truthful portrayal of feelings and thoughts (cite). Different cultures contribute to the varying theater styles. For example, “chinese playgoers are familiar with the stories, characters, and conventions...the objective of the Chinese performer is to meet the high expectations of the playgoers” (cite). Thus, Chinese performers are more conscious of ensuring that their gestures and body movements appear aesthetically beautiful to satisfy their audiences’ expectations. The knowledge of the diverse approaches of theater in different regions is significant for respecting a theater piece, because theater from different cultures than one’s own should be evaluated and appreciated with the viewpoint of that
Through discourses in theatrical, anthropological and philosophical discussions, Butler portrays gender identity as being performative rather than expressive. Gender, rather than being drawn from a particular essence, is inscribed and repeated by bodies through the use of taboos and social
In the seventies, we could do anything. It was the rainbow coalition, anti-Vietnam, all of those elements. And then we morphed over to where it became extremely straight-laced and non-risk taking. I think we are beginning to take risks again but within those societal norms.” Theatre only goes so far as society will allow it, as showcased by the Conservatory and it being influenced by the culture surrounding it. The mirror that is theatre reflects a culture and what it may want or not want to know, depending on how far it is allowed to